Cheryl Hines Joins Luke Wilson's Next RomCom

To be honest, I can probably count the amount of romantic comedies I've enjoyed on one hand, so, I am probably not the best audience for news on the latest in a what seems like a long line of romcoms starring Luke Wilson. Variety reports that Cheryl Hines -- famous for her turn as the wife of the neurotic Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm -- has joined Wilson for Henry Poole is Here. Directed by Mark Pellington, the story centers on "a man who retreats into a life of debauchery, feasting on liquor and fast food, after learning he has only six weeks to live. But his plans go awry thanks to his oddball neighbors." I'll take a wild guess and presume that Hines is on board for a wacky neighbor role -- especially in the wake of positive reviews for her work as a supportive sidekick in the indie film Waitress.

For the most part, Henry Poole sounds like a dark comedy, which is not that far off from Pellington's other upcoming projects; a war drama with Chris Evans, and a story about a violent misanthrope starring Nicholas Cage. The script for Poole was written by Albert Torres, a first time writer, and the cast also includes Radha Mitchell (Melinda and Melinda), which will probably be where the romance comes in, and Adriana Barraza (Babel). Despite Hines' skill with comedy, she has had more than her share of roles in films that really didn't do her justice. I hope Poole, and the upcoming Zak Penn mockumentary The Grand are going to be a better use of her talents.